Detroit, MI
Greg Landry, former Detroit Lions quarterback and assistant coach, dead at 77
Greg Landry, the former Detroit Lions quarterback and assistant coach, has died. He was 77.
The Lions announced Landry’s death on social media Friday. No cause of death was given.
“We join the NFL community in mourning the loss of former Lions quarterback and coach Greg Landry,” the team said in its posting.
Landry played in the NFL from 1968 to 1981 with the Lions and then-Baltimore Colts. After two seasons in the USFL, he returned to the NFL and played one game with the Chicago Bears. He threw for 16,052 yards in his NFL career with 98 touchdowns and 103 interceptions. He was also one of the best running quarterbacks in NFL history, gaining more than 2,600 yards with 21 TDs.
The Lions selected Landry with the 11th pick of the 1968 NFL draft out of Massachusetts. He played 11 seasons with the Lions, and had a career record of 40-41-3 with Detroit. His finest season in Detroit came in 1971, when the threw for 2,237 yards and 16 touchdowns and was a first-team All-Pro and made his only Pro Bowl.
In 1976, he earned the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award after passing for 2,191 yards and 17 TDs.
Landry was traded to Baltimore and played three seasons with the Colts, going 3-10-1. He then moved to the USFL and played one season each with the Chicago Blitz (1983) and the Arizona Wranglers (1984). He was an emergency starter for the Bears — against Detroit — in 1984.
Landry rejoined the Lions in 1995 as quarterbacks coach on the staff of head coach Wayne Fontes. Landry also held assistant coaching positions with Cleveland and Chicago in the NFL and at the college level at Illinois.
From Nashua, New Hampshire, Landry led UMass in passing for three seasons and was the team’s top rusher and scorer in 1965 and 1967. He was inducted into the UMass Hall of Fame in 1980.
Detroit, MI
Detroit Fire Department brings Christmas joy to family who lost everything in house fire
DETROIT (WXYZ) — Christmas came early for a Detroit family of 10 after the Detroit Fire Department surprised them with a truck full of gifts, nearly a year after they lost their home and all belongings in a devastating fire.
On Jan. 6, Raychelle Womack and her family were living in their home on Santa Rosa Drive near Fullerton Street when it caught fire. All their possessions were destroyed in the blaze.
Watch Demetrios Sanders’ video report below:
Family’s Christmas saved after fire
“You try buying everything for a new baby and then you lose it all, on top of the other seven kids that you’ve got — that’s everything,” Womack said.
As the family continued recovering from the fire, questions remained about what Christmas could look like this year.
“Whatever we could make happen, that’s what we’re going to make happen,” Womack said.
WXYZ
That worry disappeared when the Detroit Fire Department and community partners visited the family’s new east side home with a truck full of Christmas gifts.
“To lose everything and then slowly but surely gain everything, it means a lot,” Womack said.
This marks the fourth year the Detroit Fire Department has brought Christmas cheer to families in need during the holidays.
WXYZ
“We know people lose everything in these fires, so if we can do anything to make their lives better, to make their lives easier, especially around the holiday season, we’re willing to do it,” said Chuck Simms, executive fire commissioner with the Detroit Fire Department.
Simms said the effort is driven by donations and brings joy not only to the families impacted but also to the first responders who participate.
“It’s just a great thing and nice thing for us to do,” Simms said.
WXYZ
With a Christmas tree now surrounded by gifts, Womack’s children are definitely looking forward to Christmas.
“It was nice and we appreciate it,” one child said.
WXYZ
For Womack, only one challenge remains.
“Now it’s making sure everything (gifts) stays closed until Christmas,” Womack said.
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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Detroit Tigers sign Kyle Finnegan, Kenley Jansen in MLB free agency
The Detroit Tigers signed relievers Kyle Finnegan and Kenley Jansen to upgrade their bullpen. Evan Petzold and Chris Brown evaluate on “Days of Roar.”
Kenley Jansen is destined for the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The 38-year-old right-handed reliever is fourth on the all-time saves list, first on the active saves leaderboard, 24 saves away from the 500 milestone and just signed a one-year contract that guarantees $11 million.
But he hasn’t received the closer role from the Detroit Tigers for the 2026 season.
“Will we label Kenley the closer?” Tigers president baseball operations Scott Harris said Wednesday, Dec. 17, deferring to manager A.J. Hinch. “I don’t know. That’s going to be for A.J. to figure out. I’m just going to try to give him as many options as possible.”
Entering 2026, Jansen – a four-time All-Star in his 16-year MLB career – trails only three relievers on the saves list, all three of which are Hall of Famers: Lee Smith (478), Trevor Hoffman (601) and Mariano Rivera (652).
Before signing Jansen, the Tigers connected him with Hinch for an important phone call. For context, Hinch hasn’t named a full-time closer since left-hander Gregory Soto in 2021-22, instead favoring a bullpen that operates without defined roles.
Early signs suggest Jansen has already embraced the Tigers’ approach.
“From that conversation, we learned Kenley is all about winning,” Harris said of Jansen, who won the 2020 World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers. “He’s willing to pitch in any spot. He just wants to be in a winning environment. And he was really attracted to Detroit as a destination, which is a huge step forward for this organization.”
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With three more saves, Jansen will move into sole possession of third place.
He has secured at least four saves in each of his 16 seasons, along with 25 or more saves in each of the past 13 full seasons, not counting the coronavirus pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.
“We liked a lot of things,” Harris said. “First of all, he’s one of the best to ever do it. I’ve admired him from afar – and up close for a few years. He brings a ton of success in the highest-leverage moments of games in the regular season and postseason.”
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In 2025, Jansen registered a 2.59 ERA with 19 walks and 57 strikeouts across 59 innings in 62 games for the Los Angeles Angels, racking up 29 saves in 30 opportunities.
His 8.1% walk rate ranked in the 46th percentile, while his 24.4% strikeout rate ranked in the 63rd percentile.
Many indicators foreshadow regression coming soon – most notably the lowest strikeout rate of his career, driven by his third-worst in-zone whiff rate and worst out-of-zone whiff rate over the past four seasons – but the Tigers believe in their future Hall of Fame reliever.
“The cutter still really plays,” Harris said. “He also has a two-seamer that misses bats, as well as a curveball. We think he’s going to miss plenty of bats for us. We think there are some things that we can do with sequencing and refining some of the shapes of his mix.”
The Tigers have pursued Jansen several times.
There was interest during the 2024-25 offseason, when he ultimately signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Angels, then at the 2025 trade deadline, when the Angels opted not to move him, and once again in the 2025-26 offseason, when the Tigers finally signed him to a one-year, $9 million contract, which includes a $12 million club option for 2027 (with a $2 million buyout).
“I’ve admired him from afar and up close,” Harris said.
With Jansen, the Tigers now feel confident using four relievers in save situations. The other three: right-hander Kyle Finnegan, right-hander Will Vest and left-hander Tyler Holton.
Of those four relievers, three of them produced more than 20 saves during the 2025 season, led by Jansen’s 29 and followed by Finnegan’s 24 and Vest’s 23.
“I think it was really important for us to add to the bullpen and be able to protect the leads that we know we’re going to get,” said Harris, who re-signed Finnegan on a two-year, $19 million contract earlier this month. “Whether we can find other opportunities to make our bullpen better, I’m not quite sure yet, but I like the bullpen as it is right now.”
For Jansen, his sights are set on reaching 500 saves.
It’s likely to happen in 2026.
But Jansen isn’t the Tigers’ closer.
Not yet.
“It’s going to be A.J.’s call on that,” Harris said.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon during the season and Tuesday afternoon during the offseason on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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